Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Illustrated by Holly Meade

Book-Based Family Program

Naamah and the Ark at Night By Susan Campbell Bartoletti Illustrated by Holly Meade

Program Focus Age group: 18 months - 4 years old Time frame: 45 - 60 minutes Central value: Incorporating gratitude into bedtime routines

Synopsis In this lyrical picture book, readers are introduced to Naamah, Noah’s wife, who plays a crucial role in managing and assisting Noah with the ark. When the people and animals aboard the ark have difficulties falling asleep, Naamah sings to each passenger, bringing peace and comfort to all. Young children will easily relate to this all too common occurrence of “bedtime problems”. Not only will children love naming the animals on the ark, but they will adore joining Naamah as she soothes and sings bedtime prayers to the large and ferocious, as well as the small and cuddly, animals of the ark.

Goals This program will help families explore ways of adding elements of thankfulness and gratitude to their nightly bedtime routines. Families will:

• Create an interactive “Lila Tov” (good night) Ark which will display lyrics for a simple bedtime song/prayer. (Families will be encouraged to sing this song as they attempt to integrate gratitude into bedtime routines) • Learn a few details of the Noah’s ark story • Prepare a delicious Noah’s ark snack • Generate a list of people, objects, occurrences, and activities for which they are thankful

Submitted by Vivian Newman – [email protected]

Plan in advance

Prepare Paper Plate Arks

Materials Needed • Large Brown Paper Plates (10.25 inches in diameter) • Scissors • Tape • Lyrics to Naamah’s Good Night Song (see end of this program)

Directions 1. Make a crease down the middle of a large plate and cut a slit (approx. 3 inches wide) along the center portion of the fold line. 2. Using a second plate, Cut out an arrow shape (approx. 3 inches in width and 4 inches in length) 3. Insert the arrow into the slit of the folded plate - the rectangular portion of the arrow should stand above the fold. The triangular portion of the arrow will remain below the fold, concealed by the bottom of the ark. 4. Crease plate along fold line, so that plate can stand upright and rock like a boat. 5. Tape the triangular portion of the arrow to the inside of either side of the folded plate 6. Using a glue stick or glue gun, attach a copy of “Naamah’s Good Night Song” to the back of one side of the rectangular portion of the ark

Prepare Animal Stick Puppets

Materials Needed • Popsicle sticks • Foam cut outs of animals or simple photos or pictures of animals (You’ll need 2 or multiples of 2-i.e. 4, 6, 8 of each type of animal) • Glue or glue gun

Directions 1. Glue animals to Popsicle sticks 2. Arrange animals in pairs 3. Prior to Program, hide animal pairs in somewhat visible locations in the room in which the program will be held – Remember that very young children may become frustrated or disinterested in the activity if they cannot quickly find the animals so make sure that they’re somewhat easy to find.

Introduce with activities

Decorating “Lila Tov” Ark

As families arrive, hand them a pre-assembled ark and explain how to decorate their arks. The following is a sample introductory speech:

Later today we’re going to read a book about Noah’s ark. Do you know what an ark is? It’s a boat which floats upon the water. In the Torah, the special book of Jewish stories and rules, we learn that Noah and his wife, Naamah, built an ark and filled it with many animals, so that the animals could stay dry when it rained for 40 days and nights. Here is an ark (show empty ark), but it seems be missing its animals. Do you think you could use some stickers and fill your ark, so that it will look just like Noah and Naamah’s ark?

Materials Needed • Pre-assembled arks • Animal stickers • Magic markers • Glue sticks • Optional- small pieces of paper for children to draw their own animals or pictures of food for the animals

Directions 1. Ask children to decorate both sides of the ark with stickers and optional hand-drawn pictures. 2. Demonstrate how children can gently rock their ark from side to side. 3. Make sure child’s name is written on ark.

Finding Animal Pairs

As families complete arks, suggest that they begin to search for animal pairs:

Your arks look wonderful, but I think that there may be space for a few more animals. Did you know that Noah and Naamah made certain to bring 2 of every type of animal unto the ark? They invited 2 horses, one boy horse and one girl horse, to come aboard their ark. Similarly, they asked for 2 lions and 2 elephants, etc. to come aboard their ark. Let’s see if we can be like Noah and Naamah and find pairs of animals for our ark. Hidden around this room are all types of animals. Can you find some pairs of animals and put them in your ark?

Directions 1. Children and parents should search for animal pairs. 2. Once found, the animal pairs should be tucked into the ark. 3. Children should carry their completed arks over to the rug for circle/story time.

Families who have not had time to decorate their arks should be given an empty ark, with 2 stick puppets slipped inside. A number of stickers can be sent home with families who arrived late to the program, so that these families can decorate their arks at home. Introduce the Story

Today, we’re going to read the book, Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. This book uses beautiful pictures and poetry to describe what happened aboard Noah’s ark at night.

• Does anyone remember the story of Noah and the ark? In the story, Noah built an ark. • What is an ark? (Hold up one of the paper plate arks) • Why did Noah build an ark? • Who went on the ark? • What do you think it was like to be on the ark? • Was it quiet? Was it comfortable? • According to our book, many of the animals and people aboard the ark had a hard time falling asleep at night. Naamah, Noah’s wife, does something special to help everyone sleep. • What do you think she does?

Let’s read our book and discover how Naamah helps everyone fall asleep.

Read the story

Encourage Participation

• Ask children to name the animals they see on each page. When appropriate, ask children to identify the sound each animal makes. • Invite children to pantomime Naamah’s gestures (stroking the animals, pulling covers up, yawning as she gets into bed) where possible. • As the animals fall asleep, ask children to briefly close their eyes (Fake snores are always fun!).

Post Reading Discussion Questions Naamaah’s Good Night Song (To the Tune of: Twinkle, • Did you like the way in which Naamah helped everyone fall sleep? • What did she do? Twinkle Little Star) • What happens in your house when you’re having a hard time falling asleep? What helps you sleep? Lila, Lila, Lila Tov Lila Tov, It’s Time to Sleep • In our book, it says that Naamah sings a “bedtime prayer” at We say Thank you, night. The book doesn’t tell us what tune or words Naamah uses in her prayer. What song do you think she sings? Thank you for, • I like to imagine that she sings a song that sounds a bit like Thank you for ______“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Because her song is a prayer, I bet that she uses the words “thank you” in her song. (Lila Tov= Good Night)

• Sing Naamah’s Good Night Song, inserting your own words of thanks into the song. For example: “Thank you for good books and friends.”

• If you were Naamah singing a song to the animals for, what would you give thanks?

• Can you whisper some thank you’s into the ear of the grown-up who brought you to our program today? • Grown-ups, please share a few thank you's with your children as well. (Try to come up with a list of 5-6 thank you’s.)

• Saying thank you is a wonderful way to end the day. In Judaism we are encouraged to say thank you throughout the day. Some Jewish people try to say 100 blessings-100 words of thanks during the course of the day. Did you know that saying “thank you” is good for you? Some recent studies have shown that saying “thank you” once a day and/or writing in a gratitude journal on a daily basis can lead to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, and kinder behavior toward others.

• I hope you’ll take your arks home with you and remember to say thank you at bedtime. Every night before you go to sleep, maybe you can gently rock your ark and sing Naamah’s “Lila Tov” song. I wonder for how many different things you will find to say thank you.

Follow Up activities and resources

Making Edible Arks

It’s fun and important to say “thank you” at bedtime, but it’s also good to say “thank you” at other times of the day as well. Sometimes, it’s nice to say “thank you” before we eat. Let’s make a special ark snack, and let’s see if we can say “thank you” before we eat it.

Materials Needed • Graham Crackers (broken into individual squares) • Deli flats, and/or small pita breads, cut in half • Animal Crackers • Jam or spreadable fruit • Plastic spoons • Paper plates

Directions 1. Pass out one half deli flat and a spoonful of jam to each child. 2. Ask children to spread jam on their deli flat. 3. Pass out animal crackers. Ask children to place animals on top of their jam. 4. Distribute graham cracker squares. Show how these can be tucked underneath the flat side of the deli flat to make the top of the ark. 5. Eat and enjoy. 6. While children are eating, ask them what they might want to say thank you for. (What helped you make these arks? To whom or for what should we say Thank you?)

Painting an Ocean

Once Noah and Naamah finished bringing the animals onto the ark, it began to rain and rain. The rain covered the land and made an ocean for the ark to float upon. Do you think that we should make an ocean for our arks to float upon? We have some funny paint brushes to help us paint our oceans.

Advanced Preparations • Cover tables with plastic garbage bags (this is a fun but slightly messy activity). • Pour diluted paint or food coloring into bowls. • Create or purchase texturized paint brushes. • Check out http://www.carlemuseum.org/studioblog/?p=1014 to learn how to make fun, silly paint brushes. Or order floppy brushes or twirl-a-pattern brushes from http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/c- 93-kids-paint-brushes-painting-accessories.aspx.

Materials Needed • Food coloring or paint (blue and green) • Paper/plastic bowls for holding paints • White paper plates • Paper towels • Paint brushes-texturized or regular

Directions 1. Turn white plate upside down 2. Ask children to paint the plate. 3. Use paper towels to plot up extra paint

Singing Gratitude and Noah’s Ark Songs Due to the young ages of the children for whom this program is intended, songs of gratitude are combined with some traditional animal songs. The animal songs are included because this is the type of music to which young children are attracted.

Singing Gratitude and Noah’s Ark Songs

If You’re Grateful and You Know It Two by Two (To the tune of “If you’re happy and you know (To the tune of "Skip to My Lou", Words by it”) Lisa Litman.)

If you’re grateful and you know it say, Clap your hands, two by two, “Todah-Thank You”- repeat 2 times Clap your hands, two by two, If you’re grateful and you know it and you Clap your hands, two by two, really want to show it, When Noah built the ark, YAHOO! If you’re grateful and you know it say, (Really throw your arms up and let loose!) “Todah-Thank You” Additional verses: If you’re grateful and you Hop like a bunny, two by two. know it . . . kiss your mommy…. Hop like a bunny, two by two, . . . shout “Hooray” Hop like a bunny, two by two, When Noah built the ark, YAHOO! I Give Thanks to You (Rick Recht, on the Look at Me CD) Brainstorm ideas for additional verses. Examples: I (I) I give thanks (I give thanks) ) I give thanks (I give thanks) to you (to you) ) • Roar like a lion, two by two... X2 • Stretch your necks (giraffe), two by two... Verse 1 Thank you for my parents we love love love Thank you for the trees we hug hug hug Thank you for doggies we pet pet pet Thank you for the water so wet wet wet Chorus

Verse 2 Thank you for chocolate we eat eat eat Thank you for the soil that tickles our feet Thank you for the flowers we sniff sniff sniff Thank you for this life we live live live Chorus

The Animals Go Marching (Traditional with special lyrics)

The animals go marching two by two! Hurrah! Hurrah! The animals go marching two by two! Hurrah! Hurrah! The animals marching two by two! Old Noah stops to tie his shoe And they all go marching down into the ark To get out of the rain. Boom! Boom! Boom!

Making Gratitude Journals (ages 4 and up)

Materials Needed • Blank Notebooks or Writing Journals • Paper and glue stick (If journal cover is difficult to write on, you may need to paste a blank piece of paper on top of the cover.) • Markers • Stickers (optional) • Piece of paper with words “My Family is Thankful For”

Directions 1. Ask children to decorate journal covers 2. Find a place to glue on the journal’s title –“My Family is Grateful For” (optional) 3. Encourage families to write in the journal on a nightly or once a week basis.

Resources for parents, teachers, families

Nurturing the Family

Following the program, try to e-mail each family, thanking them for coming, and providing them with the words to some of the songs that you sang at the program. Parents may also enjoy reading articles on the importance of establishing routines with young children and ways of incorporating Judaism into daily routines.

• Nurturing Gratitude - PJ Library Blog Post: http://pjlibrary.org/pj- blog/index.php/archives/1950/nurturing-gratitude/

• “How to Be Grateful” by Marjorie Ingall: http://www.tabletmag.com/life-and- religion/83725/how-to-be-grateful/

• “A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day” by John Tierney: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/science/a-serving-of-gratitude-brings-healthy- dividends.html?_r=1

• “Jewish Routines for Children: Creating positive educational experiences for your family” by Caron Blau Rothstein, PJ Program Professional, Portland OR: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Relationships/Parents_and_Children/Routines_for_Chil dren.shtml

Naamah’s Good Night Song Naamah’s Good Night Song (To the Tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) (To the Tune of: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) Lila, Lila, Lila Tov Lila Tov, It’s Time to Sleep Lila, Lila, Lila Tov We say Thank you, Lila Tov, It’s Time to Sleep Thank you for, We say Thank you, Thank you for ______Thank you for, Thank you for ______(Lila Tov = Good Night) (Lila Tov = Good Night)

Naamah’s Good Night Song (To the Tune of: Naamah’s Good Night Song Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) (To the Tune of: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) Lila, Lila, Lila Tov Lila Tov, It’s Time to Sleep Lila, Lila, Lila Tov We say Thank you, Lila Tov, It’s Time to Sleep Thank you for, We say Thank you, Thank you for ______Thank you for, Thank you for ______(Lila Tov = Good Night) (Lila Tov = Good Night)